General News
18 August, 2026
Dunlop centre set for sale
THE shock closure of the Mareeba Kids Campus Dunlop Street childcare centre at the end of this month has been attributed to changing compliance requirements nationally across the sector and a shortage of suitably qualified staff.
MKC chief executive officer Jeanette Sturiale said families of children who used the centre were notified the week before last of the intention to close on 28 August and had taken to social media to seek assistance over the lack of options in the town.
The organisation has now confirmed it will sell the building instead of leasing it and will ask for expressions of interest over the coming weeks.
“This has been devastating to the centre staff and management; it’s such a beautiful air-conned building and garden,” Ms Sturiale said.
“We spent about $2 million to refurbish the centre, but the sale is not about money, it is about workforce challenges, particularly around compliance.
“Early childhood care is a highly regulated sector that is tightening, and I, 1000%, support this in ensuring the safety of children.
“Three weeks (notice to families) was not ideal, but we were only given a short period – six months – to achieve compliancy and it was just not enough time.
“We were given a curveball by the Federal Government, and it is just how it is.”
Federal and state governments agreed to sweeping changes to childcare safety after a former childcare worker was charged with more than 1600 child abuse charges across Sydney and Brisbane in 2023. He pleaded guilty to 307 offences in 2024 and received a life sentence.
Only last month, another worker was accused of being one of Australia’s worst paedophiles, with his alleged offences spanning more than 15 years across 62 childcare centres.
Among the legislative, regulatory, and workforce changes by the Commonwealth was the Early Child-hood Legislation Amendment (Child Safety) Act 2025; a national register of childhood workers; mandatory child safety training for everyone working in services; and the introduction of stronger working with children check requirements.
Ms Sturiale said the centre had applied for a 12-month time frame to ensure all staff met with the new standards, but combined with the inability to find qualified staff in the region, it had led to “a crescendo of decision-making”.
The Dunlop St centre had considered hiring a recruitment management service, but they had all been based out of Brisbane, which had made the Mareeba location unworkable.
The centre had also reduced enrolments to 40% over the past 18 months, from a maximum of 74 children down to 41, while it tried to meet compliance criteria.
As for the children at the centre, Ms Sturiale said they had been talking face-to-face, emailed and phoned parents over the past week to find suitable arrangements.
“We have placed 24 children in our Constance Street centre, and we know of another six who have been placed at another provider. The remaining seven children we believe aren’t placed but in two weeks that could change.”
The options in Mareeba included long day care, QT’s early learning centre, and a kindergarten service for four- to five-year-olds.
“The community does require a service,” she continued. “Obviously we can’t control who buys the building, but our preference would be for it to be an early learning centre.”
Ms Sturiale had also held talks with both State Member for Cook David Kempton and Mareeba Shire Council Mayor Angela Toppin.
Mr Kempton responded to an inundation of social media requests made in the immediate aftermath of the public notice by posting that he had “been in contact with the executive and will work closely with the centre and the community over coming weeks to look at all options to ensure Mareeba continues to receive this vital community service”.
Many comments were about the logistics of finding alternatives and keeping jobs.
“My husband and I both work full-time, and we are struggling to find alternative childcare in Mareeba with such short notice,” one comment said.
“We appreciate any support from our local representatives to help find a solution for families affected by this closure.”
Others raised the closure of the Constance Street centre’s Outside School Hours Care program as another failure to meet the needs of the community.
“Such a shame for Mareeba, especially when the town is growing and families are already struggling to find childcare,” one person commented. “After spending around $5 million on the new build, you have to wonder how it has come to this.”
Commentary also degenerated into the ‘women should stay at home and care for their young children’ battle.
Others left personal attacks on management and the CEO.
“Some of those comments can be left right at the door,” Ms Sturiale said.
“It’s very damaging, not just for my own mental health. I’m really concerned about the welfare of my management and staff who are under a lot of pressure”.
An anonymous survey was also circulating calling for people to “have their say” by linking to a barcode to answer a series of questions specific to Mareeba.
The promotion said the survey was “for community research and planning purposes only,” and did not reveal any details on who was conducting the research.
